


A Step Towards Trust

by pattimajor



Series: Trust Must Be Earned [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Autistic Tony Stark, Flashbacks, Gen, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-15 19:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21022907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pattimajor/pseuds/pattimajor
Summary: One day, Cap decided they all needed to get together for some "team-building exercises". Tony was very much not thrilled when it was announced that they would be going to a beach. Sand and water, because that's always a wonderful combination. Cap wasn't taking no for an answer, though, which is how Tony ended up sitting on a towel watching Captain America and two highly trained assassins playing dodge-ball while Thor chased them around and kept hitting Barton with a volleyball he'd found.





	A Step Towards Trust

**Author's Note:**

> Possible trigger warning, see end notes for more info.  
Prompt from @tonystarkismyprompt on Tumblr

The Avengers didn't get along at first. They worked together in the Battle of New York out of necessity. The first few weeks together in the tower were rough, to say the least. Tony spent a lot of it hiding in his lab, hyper-focusing on projects and regaining contact with his therapist from after Afghanistan. (He's a literal genius and his best friend is in the military, of course he recognized PTSD!)

One day, Cap decided they all needed to get together for some "team-building exercises". Tony was very much _ not thrilled _ when it was announced that they would be going to a beach. Sand and water, because that's always a _ wonderful _ combination. Cap wasn't taking no for an answer, though, which is how Tony ended up sitting on a towel watching Captain America and two highly trained assassins playing dodge-ball while Thor chased them around and kept hitting Barton with a volleyball he'd found.

It was going okay. Tony had planned well, with shoes and a towel to keep from actually touching the sand. The sound of the waves heightened his anxiety, but nothing he couldn't mask. Nobody would know, and he'd spend a few days locked in his lab after this with his weighted blanket and projects and be perfectly normal when the team next saw him.

That was the plan, until Bruce decided to go for a swim. The team thought this was an awesome idea and Cap was adamant that Tony join them.

"No, thanks Cap," Tony waved his tablet at them, "Working on things. Important things."

"Come on, Tony, it's not team-building if you don't participate!"

"No."

Tony made a mistake. He got too engrossed in the project on his tablet. He didn't notice them until they struck.

Suddenly, he was being lifted off his towel. Thor's booming voice declared something about joining in on the fun. Tony dropped his tablet in surprise, then froze as he saw the waves much closer than he was comfortable with.

"H-Hey, Thor, buddy? How about I stay on the dry land, okay?" Tony's voice shook.

"Man of Iron, you must join us in our team games! They are much fun!"

"I'll play on land, Thor, please put me back." His voice cracked. It was a higher pitch than normal. He saw Banner giving him a look, one he couldn't decipher. Then…

Splash! _ Water, yelling, can't breathe, trapped, build the Jericho! More yelling, more water, water, too much water, I'll build the Jericho! I'll build a suit! Can't breathe, can't breathe… _

"Tony?"

_ Bruce? _

"Easy, Tony, it's okay. You're safe, I promise. Back _ off _, Steve, give him some space."

"W-What... what happened?" Tony whispered.

"Thor dropped you in the water. You didn't swim. He had to pull you back out," Bruce explained, then whispered, "You're mind was clearly somewhere else."

An implied question. Tony whispered his answer, "Afghanistan."

Bruce nodded, "You okay now? The arc reactor is waterproof, right?"

"Yeah," Tony sighed. That feature had been a good idea.

He looked up... and there was the rest of the team. Of course. They probably saw the whole thing. Those looks are worry. And sympathy. They _ definitely _ saw the whole thing.

Cap spoke up, "What was _ that _?" He sounded more offended than worried.

Barton gave him a look, then turned back to Tony. "You okay, man? That was rough."

Tony nodded at Barton, putting more focus into glaring at Cap. "Ever heard of a flashback? Kind of a classic symptom of PTSD."

Cap looked almost angry. Why? "You can't possibly-"

Oh. That's why.

"Don't tell me how I can and can't react! Alright? I get it: I didn't wake up in a completely different world, I haven't been an assassin for a secret security organization, I don't turn into a giant rage monster because of a radiation experiment gone wrong, but I've been through some stuff too! I have a right to get a little _upset_ by that every now and then!" Tony snapped.

He got up and shoved himself past the crowd of shocked Avengers, grabbed his tablet, and headed back to the tower.

By the time the team got back, Tony was locked away in his lab, wrapped in his weighted blanket and tinkering with projects.

...

It takes a while, several days in fact, but eventually Bruce gets him to come out and explain himself to the team. He's heard the story, being the only Avenger that Tony trusts, and he thinks knowing the story will help the team understand. Tony figures the worst that can happen isn't all that terrible, so he follows Bruce's advice.

The team is gathered in the kitchen, munching on one snack or another, when Tony gets there. Bruce has apparently told them that he would be explaining, since everyone immediately turned to stare at him.

"I suppose you're not letting me out of here until I explain, are you," Tony grumbled, "Fine, let's get the tragic backstory over with."

He tells them, vaguely. He tells them about Afghanistan; about the Ten Rings and the waterboarding and the Mark 1. He doesn't tell them about the portal yet, or get into much detail, he's not ready for that, but the incident needing explaining was only the waterboarding, so that's okay.

Natasha gives him a look, one that means sympathy, maybe empathy? Clint tells him he understands and he's sorry Tony had to go through that, but _ dude that's so cool you built the suit in a cave! _ Cap... Steve looks ashamed and says he's sorry for the way he reacted that morning, that he didn't stop to consider that there might be a reason for Tony to act like that and that was dumb of him.

Tony accepts their apologies. He doesn't trust them just yet, but he might've just gotten a step closer…

**Author's Note:**

> This fic centers around a flashback from Tony's PTSD, mainly the idea that he experienced waterboarding in Afghanistan. I don't think it's particularly graphic, but maybe don't read if a short description of a panic attack/flashback will trigger you.


End file.
